Convertible bulkhead for refrigerator cars



July 20, 1943. A; F. ocoNNoR l 2,324,721

CON'IERTIBLE BULKHEAD FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS i Filed'Aug. 1.5, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 20 .I 2 :12.

| 15mm ,amvb-.Im @matlkml f INVENT OR.

` July 20, 1943. A. F. ocoNNoR 2,324,721

CONVERTIBLE BULKHEAD FOR REFRIGERATOR GARS Filed Aug.- 13, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 2 INV ENTOR.

Patented July 20, 1943 CONVERTIBLE BULKHEAD Fon REFRIGERATOR cans .Arthur F. OC'onnor, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, Chicago,

Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 13, 1942, Serial No. 454,659

y4 Claims.

The inventionrelates to convertible bulkheads for refrigerator and like cars. It is adapted for use in refrigeratorcars having bulkheads which form one wall of an ice bunker in the end of the car, the bulkhead being movable to la stored" the prior art. The prior art shows bulkheads suspended from tracks and means for anchoring the bulkheads in different positions longitudinally of the carcomprising `latches,"slide bolts and the like intermediate the bulkhead and the side wallsof Athe car. The anchoring means on such structures are invariably sepa- 20 rate members from the track on which the bulkhead moves. i v

The principal objects of this invention are to utilize the track (by the addition ofvsmall, inexpensive parts) as the anchoring V'means affixed to the car proper, and vthe elimination of anchoring means (brackets, sockets, Aha'sps, etcl) on the side walls of the car' Any projection from or cavity in the side walls are highly objectionable as carton goodsI and other types of ladingfare damaged thereby when the lading shifts lengthwise `of the ear.V i

A` further object is to provide an efficient means for automatically anchoring the upper portion `of the bulkhead at the time the bulkhead is raised or lowered into its Aseveral. operative positions, `and to automatically Vfree the upper portionA of the bulkhead from its anchorage when it is raised or lowered.Y I show a lever means on the bulkhead for raising and.

lowering same but do not Vclaim this lever means per se. I show the bulkhead in anchored position when it is lowered and I contemplate that the lower margin `of the bulkhead will dropinto a suitable slot or groove (not shown) at the time the upper margin drops into anchoring position, such means for anchoring the lower portion of the bulkhead being old in the art.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description 'Of the embodiment shown in the' accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a schematic drawing showing the relation of the bulkhead to the car and, the lelof conventional insulated construction.

ative locations of the anchoring means on the bulkhead and car ceiling.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the extended bulkhead being shown in full lines and the stored bulkhead being indicated in dotted lines. The lever mechanism, for raising the bulkhead, is shown in this view also.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the bulkhead in raised position and the lever mechanism in locked position to hold the bulkhead in raised position. i l

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bulkhead in anchored engagement with the track; i

` Fig. 5, is a fragmentary view taken along line '5 5 of Fig. 2', illustrating the lever mechanism for raising and loweringthe bulkhead.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 3,1 showing the bulkhead in raised position and the anchoring means disengaged.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line T--l of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view ofthe bulkhead, track and anchoring members, with the bulkhead in raised positionand the anchoring means in inoperative position.

The car illustrated in the drawings may be a conventional refrigerator car having an end wall I0, top wall I2 and side walls I4, which mayre e ceiling I6 ofthe car may extend in a single plane between opposed car end walls lll- HL but I prefer to provide an upwardly offset ceiling por- -tion I8 adjacent each end wall, in order that the track means may be flush with or above the ceiling I6, eliminating projections downwardly therefrom which might interfere with lading extending to the ceiling I6. A hatch opening 20 may be provided in the top wall I2, at each corner thereof, for filling the ice bunkers with ice.

The bulkhead 22 may comprise a plurality of spaced apart vertical posts 24 secured at their upper ends by ai' horizontal capping strip 2E `lill `on the lading compartment side of the bulkhead. A` foraminous wall portion 28 may be affixed to the posts 24 on the ice bunker side thereof.

The bulkhead may be suspended from a pair of tracks 32 disposed longitudinally of the car and aflixed to the ceiling I8 preferably equidistant from and on opposed sides of the longitudinal center of the car, by a pair of roller supported carriages 34 mounted upon the tracks 32, each carriage 34 having a strap 36 depending therefrom and extending downwardly through an aperture in the capping strip 25 and into the open channel of o-ne of the posts 24. A baillike lever 3&3 may be provided for raising and lowering the bulkhead and may comprise a pair of spaced apart levers located coincident with two of the posts 24 with their lower end portions extending into the channel portions of ythe postsand pivotally secured to the side walls thereof. apart levers may be connected by a horizontal strap portion t!! whereby the spaced apart levers may be moved simultaneously by moving the strap portion Ml. The lower end portion of each of the straps 36 may be pivotally secured to the lever 3B coincident therewith, thev pivotal connection between the strap and lever being above the pivotal connection between the lever and the post. When the bulkhead is in lowered position the levers are in a substantially vertical position. When the strap portion do is moved or swung downwardly the pivot pin :lf2 acts asa fulcrum point for the levers andthe bulkhead is lifted by the pivot pin t4'. A suitable strut or detent 45 may be used to hold the leversin position to retain the bulkheadv in raisedposition'.

The track 32 may comprise anelongated inverted U-shape member having a horizontal top wall 48 abutting the ceiling t3, spaced apart depending vertical side v/alls 55 having inwardly turned marginal anges 52 spaced from each other to'formv a slot extending longitudinally of the track on the under side thereof to permit the strap-35 to travel lengthwise thereof.

The description this far has been of refrigerator car construction which is not claimed herein as part of the present invention, The essential features of the invention are found in the improvements hereinafter described,

The track 32 may be provided with opposed longitudinal mounting flanges 54` welded to the track in coplanar alignment with the plane of the top wall 48 and provided with aperturesv to receive fastening bolts. Inasmuchy as the tracks 32 of the invention will receive the thrusts received by the bulkhead, when the icev shifts against it from one side and the lading shifts against it from the opposite side, the purpose of the mounting flanges 54 is to permit the application' of sufiicient fastening bolts therethrough and into' the ceiling structure to rigidly anchor the tracks against movement (loosening) longitudinally of the car. I contemplate also the use of cripples or bracing incorporated in the construction of the car top wall l2, intermediate the ceiling of the car and the roof of the car, toA which the track fastening bolts may be secured. These cripples or bracing may comprise the conventional wooden beams or may comprise metal' beams similar to carlinesor purlines commonly used in car construction. The lower portion of each of the opposed side walls of the track may be provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced detents 56', which I show as angles welded tothe walls 55; but which may be made of various shapes without departing from the scope of the invention'. The pair of detents 56 on one side wall 59 may be aligned, transversely of the track, with the pair of detents The upper end portions ofthe spacedj on the opposed side wall, the space between the detents of each pair being centrally located with respect to the plane boundaries of the bulkhead in its extended, ice bunker forming position. The opposed side walls 50, adjacent the end wall of the car, may be provided with one detent each, in transverse alignment on the track, as the stored bulkhead may contact a portion of the car end wall I0 to limit its movement in a direction toward the end of the car. The upper margin of the bulkhead may be provided, coincident--w-ith each track 32, with a pair of upstanding-'walls 58 spaced from each other and disposed alongside the opposed walls 5G of the adjacentk track. Each wall 58 may be provided at it's'upper'portion with a laterally, inwardly projecting dentent 60 disposed in bulkhead anchoring position between the spaced apart detents 5S (when bulkhead is in lowered extended position). When the bulkhead is raised, by the lever mechanism, the walls 58- and the detents- 60 maybe raised, with respect to thetrack SZand t'hetrack detents 56, whereby the bulkhead detents E0 will befabove the detents 56 and the bulkhead is in position to be moved' tothe desired position longitudinally of they car. W-hen the raised bulkhead is moved. to the desired position it may belowered by the lever mechanism, at which timey the bulkhead detents 50 will be lowered into holding engagement with the adjacent detents 56, thereby anchoring the bulkhead.

While- I havej shown the bulkhead in' two anchoredl positions (fully extended and stored) I contemplate the use-of additional detents' 56 and 60 to,- permitA the bulkhead to be anchored in a positiony intermediate the storedr and fully extended positions, as for instance, where a lesser amount'of. ice isf requiredi in the bunker or where a` longer lading compartment is: wanted between '4.0i' thev opposed bulkheads in bunkerV forming position.

While it is known to be possible tor suspend the bulkhead from a single, centrallyv located track, I prefer to use a pair of tracks 32 intermedia-te the hatch openings 2%, as this maintains the bulkhead withy itsv upper and lower framev members parallel with the ceiling and oor ot the car, respectively, andmaintains the vertical sides of the bulkhead in parallelspaced relationship withy the car walls I4. In Fig, l of the drawings is shown a means: for anchoring the upper side portions of the bulkhead, which comprises angles 62 secured to the ceiling, the vertical legsof which may be provided` with detents 56; Angles 64 may be affixed to the upper frame of the bulkhead, the vertical legs of the angles bein-g provided. with laterally extending detents 60., This means for anchoring the upper side portions of the bulkhead requires less material than .the intermediate anchoring means (the tracks 32) as the. bulkhead is not suspended therefrom.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention which is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modications thereof will occur to persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the claims.

I claim z.

l. In a ca'r having a transverse bulkhead movable longitudinally thereof, a track adjacent the top wall at a pointl removed from the side walls of the car, arol'ler'riding on the track, lever means on tht! bulkhead; for raising and lowering the bulkhead vertically, a member suspended from the roller connected to the lever means, a detent associated with the track intermediate its ends, a second detent on the bulkhead adapted to co-` operate with said rst named `detent when the bulkhead is moved vertically in one direction and adapted to clear said rst named detent when the bulkhead is moved vertically in the opposite direction, whereby to anchor the bulkhead and to permit movement thereof longitudinally of the car, respectively.

2. In a car having a transverse bulkhead movable longitudinally thereof, a track spaced from the side walls of and aiiixed to the car above the bulkhead, a roller supported by the track provided with a depending member, lever means o'n the bulkhead below the upper boundaries thereof adapted to raise and lower the bulkhead, said de- 1 3. In a car having a transverse bulkhead movable vlongitudinally thereof, a track adjacent the car ceiling in spaced relation with the car side walls, a roller supported by the track provided l with said member, a laterally extending detent on with a depending member, lever means on the bulkhead operable to raise and lower the bulkhead, said depending member being connected at its lower portion to said lever means, a detent depending from the car ceiling in spaced relation with the car side walls, a detent extending upwardly from the bulkhead adapted to engage said first named detent when the bulkhead is moved vertically in one direction and adapted to clear said` first named detent when the bulkhead is moved in the opposite direction whereby to limit the movement of the bulkhead and to permit the movement thereof in one direction longitudinally of the car, respectively.

4. In a car having a transverse bulkhead movable longitudinally thereof, a track adjacent the car ceiling, a roller supported on the track provided with a depending member, lever means on the bulkhead operable to raise and lower the bulkhead and having cooperative engagement each opposed side of the track intermediate its ends, spaced apart members projecting upwardly from the bulkhead coincident with the track, each of said spaced apart members being provided Wtha laterally extending detent adapted to cooperate With one of the detents on the track when the bulkhead is moved vertically in one direction* and adapted to clear said last named det'ents when the bulkhead is moved vertically in the opposite direction whereby to limit the movement of and permit the movement of said bulkhead longitudinally of the car, respectively.

ARTHUR F. OCONNOR. 

